33“你们再听一个比喻：有个家主，栽了一个葡萄园，周围圈上篱笆，里面挖了一个压酒池，盖了一座楼，租给园户，就往外国去了。34收果子的时候近了，就打发仆人到园户那里去收果子。35园户拿住仆人，打了一个，杀了一个，用石头打死一个。36主人又打发别的仆人去，比先前更多，园户还是照样待他们。37后来打发他的儿子到他们那里去，意思说：‘他们必尊敬我的儿子。’38不料，园户看见他儿子，就彼此说：‘这是承受产业的。来吧！我们杀他，占他的产业！’39他们就拿住他，推出葡萄园外杀了。40园主来的时候，要怎样处治这些园户呢？”41他们说：“要下毒手除灭那些恶人，将葡萄园另租给那按着时候交果子的园户。”42耶稣说：“经上写着：‘匠人所弃的石头，已作了房角的头块石头。这是主所作的，在我们眼中看为希奇。’
耶稣讲的这个比喻简要的概括了以色列百姓的历史。在旧约时代，先知把神的话语带给他们，但是他们却殴打杀害先知。当神差遣他自己的儿子来呼唤他们悔改，把他们的心转向神，他们同样把他杀了。当这些作为神选民的以色列百姓拒绝（不是全部，但是大多数）神差派给他们的救主，神就转向了外邦人，让他们一同来分享天国。
耶稣引用的经文同样是来自诗篇118篇，之前耶稣从橄榄山下来荣入圣城的时候，人们所唱的与“和散那”相关的颂歌，也是出自118篇。耶稣是房角石，是神美丽教会最重要的石头，所有其他石头都要以他为准绳来放置。如果你想成为神教会的一员，那么请把信心放在耶稣上。否则，如果你拒绝耶稣，你在神的教会里就没有位置。
今天这个故事给你提出了一个你要用心思考的问题：你要怎样看待耶稣呢？在你相信耶稣这件事上，你不能采取骑墙的态度。要么你相信他拯救你，要么你完全拒绝他。耶稣要么是你生命的一切，要么在你生命中什么也不是。你要怎样看待耶稣呢？
祷告：主耶稣啊，你是我信心的房角石和坚固根基！我把我的盼望唯独放在你身上。唯有在你里面，才有赦免和与神之间的平安。唯有在你里面，才有永生的盼望。唯有在你里面，我的心才能找到和平与安宁。我知道你永远不会拒绝我，我的祷告就是我永远也不拒绝你。阿们。
Matthew 21:33-42: 33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. 35 “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. 36 Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. 37 Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said. 38 “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.” 42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
Jesus’ parable tells the story of the people of Israel in a nutshell. They beat and killed the prophets in the Old Testament who brought the word of God to them. And when God sent his own Son to call them to repentance and turn their hearts to God, they killed him, too. When the chosen people (not all of them, but most of them) rejected the Savior God sent to them, God turned to the Gentiles and gave them a share in the kingdom of heaven.
The verse Jesus quotes is the same Psalm 118 that he quoted in connection with the “hosanna” chants when he came down the Mount of Olives. Jesus is the cornerstone, the most important stone in God’s beautiful Church, the stone on which all other stones are measured and placed. If you want to be part of God’s Church, then put your faith on Jesus. On the other hand, if you reject Jesus, you have no place in God’s Church.
This story is setting a question before your heart today. “What will YOU do with Jesus?” You cannot straddle the fence when it comes to your faith in Jesus. You either trust in him for your salvation, or you reject him altogether. Jesus is either everything in your life, or he is nothing in your life. What will YOU do with Jesus?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are the cornerstone and the firm foundation for my faith! I rest all my hopes in you alone. Only in you is there forgiveness and reconciliation with God. Only in you is there hope for eternal life. Only in you will my heart find peace and rest. I know you will never reject me. My prayer is that I will never reject you. Amen.